Names and numbering used on
pompeiiinpictures.

1. Pompeii Regio, Insula and
Entrance Numbering

.

Structure of numbers

Pompeii has been divided up into Regions or Regio
by the archaeologists, based on a methodology devised by Fiorelli in the 1860s.

Each Regio contains a
number of Insula (in this case defined as blocks of houses and shops bounded by
roads).

Each Insula has its
individual door entrances numbered.

We have used this
numbering system for this site

Our web site has a picture of every doorway and detail of the insides
of most.

The exception is
the tombs, gates, towers, and villas where a shorter number is used.

Regio

There are nine Regio
numbered from I to IX using Roman numerals.

Our plans show each regio as a different colour.

Insula

Each Regio has
several Insula numbered from 1 upwards (not in Roman numerals).

The insula plans use the same colour as the regio they
are in.

Entrance

Each entrance has a
number from 1 upwards or in a few cases a, b, c etc and sometimes a
combination of the two.

Room or ambiente

A fourth and final part of the numbering gives the room
number on archive plans.

This is not used in the number structure of
pompeiiinpictures.

In the houses where we do use room numbers they are
shown in the description under each photograph.

In these cases there is usually a link at the top of the
page to a plan showing the room locations.

If we have access to an accepted plan we try to use it,
but over the years plans have not always been available.

In these cases we have had to draw our own and our room
number reflects the sequence in which we entered and photographed the house.

The use of the numbering system

This gives a
numbering system for each entrance such as IX.2.10 where this represents the
entrance at Regio IX, Insula 2, Door 10.

Changes and renumbering

Over the years the
numbering has changed as the site has been further excavated.
The original Roman road, house names and numbers are not known.

Those in use today
have evolved in a variety of ways since the site was rediscovered and excavated.

If you are researching old records then you need to make yourself aware of
renumbering that has taken place, particularly in areas such as Regio I and
Regio II. Something originally found in Regio II.4 in the old records may refer
to what is now Regio II.1.

An entry in the old records for II.4.6
may not necessarily be part of the Villa of Julia Felix, but may
instead refer to the thermopolium at II.1.6.

2. Names

Houses

Many houses also have
names as well as numbers.

Some have several
names and in some cases the same name is used on different houses.

Our web page for
IX.2.10 is headed

IX.2.10
Pompeii. House of Chlorus and Caprasia or
Casa del Gallo II.

This indicates the house has been known by two names and one of them, the
Casa del Gallo, had already been used elsewhere in Pompeii.

House names have
changed.
Some houses or shops are named after possible owners if an artefact such as
a seal, or graffiti for example have been found there.

Others are named after paintings or significant discoveries such as a
surgeons instruments or architectural features.

Many were named after visiting dignitaries, who sometimes visited several
times or to several houses and each house may have the same or a similar name.

In the case of tombs, gates, towers, and villas a shorter number is used to make them
unique for the web pages.

Tombs

Tombs have a short
number based on the official reference, the excavation reports, or the major
accepted work on a specific group of tombs.

These records often take the location as a given and
have a one or two digit reference on their plan for each tomb.

To make these
unique we have used the first 2 or 2 letters reflect the location, usually the
gate they are outside.

The last 1 or
2, sometimes with an extra a, b etc is the tomb number at that location.

e.g. The tomb of Caius Vestorio Prisco outside the Porta
Vesuvio or Vesuvian Gate is VGJ.

J is
the letter used in the excavation report and plans.

Gates

The city gates are referred
to on the plans by the official Porta ......... name and this is also
translated to ......... Gate

e.g. Porta Ercolano and Herculaneum Gate

Towers

Tower I to
Tower XII are numbered T1- T12

Villas

Those outside Pompeii are referred to by name e.g. Villa
Regina at Boscoreale.

Those in Pompeii usually have a regio.insula.entrance
number e..g. II.4.6 is the Villa of Julia Felix or Villa di Giulia Felice.

All villa names are in the house names index.

Names Index

All the names used on pompeiiinpictures are
contained in an alphabetic names index.

You can use the pompeiiinpictures Names Index button
on any
page to get to the index, find a name and get a direct link to the page/location with that name.

3. Using pompeiiinpictures

We hope pompeiiinpictures will help you find your way around.

There is nothing like visiting Pompeii.

Hopefully pompeiiinpictures can help you plan your
visit.

You can also use the search page if for instance you are
trying to locate distinct features such as all paintings of Mercury or Hermes.

The site can also help you make sense of, and catalogue, your
photos after you get back home.